


The Passing of the Watch

by Athar Riordan (Atharian)



Series: Primeval: Family of Time (2020) [1]
Category: Primeval
Genre: Canon Divergent, Character Mentions, Destruction of the ARC, Explosions, Gen, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Incursion, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:15:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23691469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atharian/pseuds/Athar%20Riordan
Summary: 2021. They say that the Past is Prologue. But this time it’s the future.Matt Anderson thought he’d changed the future, but an attack on the ARC proves otherwise; leading him to make one final drastic decision.
Relationships: Abby Maitland/Connor Temple, Matt Anderson/Emily Merchant
Series: Primeval: Family of Time (2020) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1706128
Kudos: 3





	The Passing of the Watch

**Author's Note:**

> This one shot acts as a prologue of sorts to a plot bunny that’s been in my head for a while. However, due to writers block, I wasn’t able to get it down on paper.
> 
> I’ve changed the year of Matt and Gideons arrival by a year (from 2001 to 2000) for the purposes of this fic series.

** The Passing of the Watch By Atharian  **

* * *

The watch had been her fathers. It was different from any other watch of it’s time (or the time it was meant to have been made in).When she asked why he still wore it, he said it was a reminder of where he’d come from and what he’d fought to prevent. _She’d just accepted the answer._

* * *

But now as another explosion shook the Anomaly Research Centre, Charley Anderson thought she should have maybe asked the more questions. Being led down a dark corridor, it’s lights flickering on and off after the power grid was hit by one of the earlier explosions, Charley swallowed down her panic as her fathers grip tightened as he moved them both along with an EMD gripped tightly in his other hand.Whatever was happening had taken everyone by surprise; but none so much as her father and uncles who she’d been with when this began.

* * *

* * *

At the first hint of something happening, her Uncle Connor had shot out of the room to find Aunt Jess in the Hub; Uncle Hils has quickly been on the radio and barking orders on his way to the armoury. Her father was talking quickly into his own headset while ordering the youngster out of the office to find her mother and Aunt Abby in the Menagerie where it was safer. His hand on her back was a reassurance as he made sure she reached the menagerie before running to meet the others with both women; after they’d set up the security to lock Charley in and let her dire wolf companion out of his enclosure to be with his pack mate ( _having bonded with the youngster years before_ ) as they’d done during a previous incursion.

Charley couldn’t remember how long she’d been there with her small arms around the neck of the prehistoric wolf before Shadow began growling at the ceiling.

Looking up in the confusion, her comforting grip loosening from around Shadow; she barely had a minute to see a set of two claws sending the vent cover to the ground before Shadow jumped up and snarled a warning as he sheltered the sitting youngster amidst his long legs. What emerged would haunt Charley’s dreams for months afterwards, as an alien type creature the youngster had only heard of lowered its head from the open vent to sniff the air. _A future predator_ , something in the youngsters subconscious whispered as Shadow’s snarling and growling took a lower tone in warning as Charley tried to keep her shaking body as still as possible.

The scream that came moments later, as the predator dropped and Shadow jumped to meet it, Charley didn’t remember emitting, as she scrambled away from the fray between wolf and predator with tear blurred eyes.

The fight didn’t last long, with Shadow managing to snap the predators neck with a sickening sound of bone crunching. However the wolf had sustained his own injuries as he abandoned the creature now dead on the floor and collapsed in between it and Charley with a whimpering growl. Charley scrambled to the wolf’s side in tears, her hands quickly becoming blood stained as she tried to put pressure on the long gash marks on the wolf’s side that were bleeding freely.

“ _Shadow_ ,” the youngster sobbed as the wolf had raised its large head to lick the youngster in an attempt at comfort; as his bloodied snout sought out the youngsters shoulder to sniff at - Beneath the bloodied T-shirt, a reminder of their first meeting almost 4 years earlier.

Her father and Uncle Hils would find them both some time later; Charley’s head resting against Shadows long after the wolf’s chest stopped its shaky rise and fall as her blue eyes stared vacantly at the small pool of blood between them.

* * *

The door opening reached Charley’s eyeline as she continued to stare at the dead predator across the room; her head and arms buried in the once soft dark fur at Shadows neck.

_ “Good God.” “Charlotte,” _

The two voices seemed so far away to the youngster as Becker immediately did a visual sweep of the room as Matt immediately rushed to his daughters side; a wave of panic overcoming him upon seeing the future predator and the pool of blood around the youngster and wolf.

“Charlotte,” Matt called softly as he lowered his weapon on a blood free section of the floor and placed a shaking hand on the girls back after her lack of reaction. The feeling of the small back rising and falling bringing some relief as Becker slowly knelt down to run a hand over the unmoving wolf.

“He’s gone,” Becker said into the silence, as Charleys arms tightened slightly around Shadow at the words. Matts eyes closed for a moment at the confirmation, his hand fisting Charleys t-shirt as he felt the youngster move to tighten her hold on the wolf.

“Charlotte,” Matt called again upon opening his eyes again and loosening his hold with no response. “Charley sweetheart, I need to check you’re okay - and, I need you to sit up for me to do that.” His voice held an uncharacteristic desperation in its tone, as flashbacks of his childhood returned for the first time since convergence.

Shifting his position, Matt placed both hands on the youngsters now shaking shoulders and gently gave a tug. Charleys reaction was instantaneous as her arms finally came loose and she dived into Matts embrace and began to cry. Becker steadied Matt upon the impact, his brown eyes slightly glistening as emotion overruled the soldier at almost losing his best friends daughter. Matt felt the youngster grip onto him for dear life as his own arms wrapped around her shaking form tightly; her head resting beneath his chin as he felt how stiff the youngsters t-shirt had become.

“Matt, We need to leave.” Becker said, with a hint of apology in his voice as he ran a hand over the youngsters back for his own reassurance.

Matt nodded in agreement as he loosened his grip on the youngster and gently pushed Charley away from his chest despite her slight whine in protest. Taking a visual check of the youngster, he assured himself that physically she was unharmed before speaking softly.

“Charley we’re going to have to leave Shadow okay?” He noticed the panic in the youngsters eyes at the thought of leaving her friend and quickly added. “We’ll come back, I promise, but right now you need to come with your Uncle Hils and me so we can get out of here alright?”

“He’ll be alone,” came the hoarse whisper as Charley finally tore haunted blue eyes away from Shadow.

“He won’t be alone for long, Charley.” Becker assured, his own voice not as strong as normal after seeing the youngsters blood soaked T-shirt. “But your fathers right, we need to leave.”

The first of three explosions happened as Charley, her uncle and father ( _who was carrying the shell shocked youngster_ ) were nearing the hub. The youngster could hear the surprised shouts over the headsets her father and uncle wore as she gripped her father more tightly as her uncle steadied them as shoulders hit the corridor wall.

_ “What the hell was that?” _

_ “I have no idea.” _

* * *

* * *

It was after the first explosion that things became blurry.

By the time the third explosion hit the building, Charley was wearing her fathers jacket and trying hard to keep up with her dad as he guided her through the corridor.

The only sounds Charley had made since being found with Shadow were whimpers and cries as the explosions brought structural collapses and people being trapped.

Matt wiped blood away from his forehead with his sleeve as he half dragged Charley with him down the corridor toward Connor’s lab. Glancing down at the youngster, the irishman swallowed at Charley’s ghostly complexion. They had managed to wipe Shadows blood from Charley’s face upon reaching the Hub, but the youngster hadn’t spoken - the onset of shock was clear in her features; Emily had been the one to pull his jacket over their daughter with the hope of the familiar scent offering some small comfort.

_** Emily ** _ ... Matt swallowed thickly. He couldn’t think about his wife, not now - not when he had to make sure their daughter would be safe. They’d already lost their son - ( _though a routine dna cross match had brought up surreal results that had been stored securely on Connors laptop_ ) - he couldn’t let their daughter down.  _** Not now. ** _

Reaching the laboratory corridor, Matt made a sweep of the floor before guiding Charley to the door to Connors lab. Praying that the biometric system in this section was still intact, Matt touched his ID bracelet to the panel and silently thanked the isolated powerpoint for the system as the door unlocked and Matt guided Charley inside. Lights came on as Matt lifted Charley up to sit on top of the bench and put his EMD beside her. There was little time for Matt to do what he was attempting; but he also needed to ensure that Charley would have what she needed.

Charley had watched her father move around Uncle Connors lab with efficiency. The shaking had not yet left her, but the familiar scent of her fathers jacket helped ease a tiny part of the anxiety her shock fuelled body was experiencing. Burrowing into her fathers jacket further, she watched as he pulled out a rucksack and placed her uncles laptop and notebook inside it. This was quickly followed by a couple of things Charley didn’t recognise and some she did.

Feeling another rumble as another part of the building caved in, Matt began accessing Connors files on the work laptop allocated to this lab. Finding what he needed, Matt moved to a locked cupboard Charley had never seen into, to pull out something similar to an old fashioned sci-fi prop and placed it on the table between them.

The Irishman glanced at the silent youngster who now shared his eye level while setting things up ( _hoping that she would say something, **anything**_ ). What he was attempting was risky; risky in the sense that if this went wrong the timelines would be changed again, and perhaps not for the better. He had failed to stop New Dawn in time, he knew that now - the warning from his future self about going back was a valid one. But this time, _he wouldn’t be the one going back_.

Apart of Matt cursed himself for allowing history to repeat itself; for now placing this burden on a nine year old girl whose life was being turned upside down because of events she wasn’t even aware of. _But if he could send her back to Gideon... to himself... to the son he and Emily now knew still lived..._ Maybe all of their mistakes could be corrected.

Swallowing thickly upon seeing the youngsters face, Matt quickly began to type.

Opening Connors virtual anomaly map based on Nick Cutters original model, Matt began to search for an anomaly that would open up close to when he and his father were in the past; where they now knew Stephen to be... The age difference between his children would now be bigger; _but if he could at least get them to meet... perhaps some others things could change..._

Finding an anomaly ( _March 2001_ ), Matt began to adjust projections based on his own trip back in time and nodded as the results came up. A rumble sounded overhead, as his hand shot across to Charleys shoulder; the youngster barely holding herself from scrambling over to him. He was running out of time.

As the rumbling mercifully stopped, Matt removed his hand from his daughters shoulder and picked up the device he had dropped between them. _Danny Quinn’s Anomaly Manipulator, the one he’d stolen from Helen Cutter_. Powering the tech up, Matt waited for it to load as he walked around to stand in front of his daughter.

“Charley?” He gently prompted, causing the youngsters attention to be drawn to him ( _her small hand gripping his shirt sleeve as he brushed a hand over her cheek to ensure he had her attention_ ). “I know you’re scared - but you’re going to be alright. I promise okay?”

Charley gave a small nod, blue eyes similar to his own showing a trust Matt still marvelled at even now. Coming from a sterile environment, Matt hadn’t even considered children in his life - he didn’t think he could father any. But now he had two ( _the second growing up half a century before his time_ ) and he found he wasn’t ready to lose them both now he knew what could be.

“You’ve been so brave, Kid,” Matt praised, as he took in the youngsters face as if to memorise it. “But I need you to be even braver and listen to me carefully okay?”

“ _Kay..._ ”

The barely whispered word was like music to the ARC’s team leader as Charley’s eyes took in a little more focus upon seeing her fathers expression.

Turning both of their attentions to his left wrist, Matt undid the strap on his ever present watch - the watch his daughter had once asked about but didn’t understand what was fully contained within. Pushing up his Jacket sleeve on Charleys arm, seeing a slight frown of confusion form, Matt placed the timepiece about the youngsters wrist and secured it. _It was still loose, but she would grow into it,_ he thought.

“There,” he said to fill the silence that was only broken by the beeping of the device. “I think it suits you, Charley.” He said, offering the youngster a weak smile as he held her smaller hand in his own. _He was a soldier_ , he reminded himself as he ran his thumb over smooth skin, _he couldn’t fail now_. “You take care of it okay?”

Charley’s frown deepened, her mouth opening as if to voice a question - Matt silenced her with a finger pressed to her lips.

“I need you to listen carefully. We don’t have a lot of time.”

Charley listened to her father as he spoke. Some of what he was telling her went over her head, but some of it didn’t; and the things she understood caused her to attempt to protest as the realisation she was being sent away sunk in. She didn’t want to leave her family - her parents ( ~~ _she didn’t want to leave Shadow alone_~~ ); but that’s what her father was making her do.

Matt closed his eyes momentarily against the hurt showing in the youngsters eyes, but he fell back to his training to stay the course.

“I need you to find us Kid; your grandfather and me... I need you to find your brother.”

“Stephen?” Came the tear fuelled voice as Matt noted the glimmer of tears at the corner of Charley’s eyes.

“Stephen.” Matt nodded. “He’s going to be older than you Charley; I don’t know if he knows the parents he grew up with aren’t his own - but you need to find him okay?”

“How?”

“Your grandfather and I will know how. They’ll just need the name he grew up with. That’s _Stephen Hart_ \- can you remember that for me?”

The name was familiar to Charley, but she wasn’t sure why. She would remember it though, she thought as she nodded.

“Good girl,” Matt nodded, as he planted a kiss into her brown hair. Asking Charley to stay where she was, he moved back to the Device and began typing in calculations and the necessary adjustments so that the trip Charley would be taking would a direct one ( _the only one_ ). Connor had said that there would be enough juice for perhaps one or two more trips on the device, as there had been no way for them to change the power source. _One trip was all he needed it to make.  
  
_

“You’re going back to 2001 - before your mother and I joined the ARC ( ~~ _before Emily visited this time_~~ ). Before anyone really knew about the anomalies.” He explained, as if this were just another lesson about another lost dinosaur. “Your grandfather and I had only been been in this time for a year, so a lot of things were still new to us.”

Matt finished the equations and waited for the device to beep in readiness, as he moved back to Charley who was listening as best she could.

“I know this is a lot to take in, Charley - believe me, I know. But you’re strong, Kid; You and your brother both.” _In time you’ll learn just how strong_ , he thought sadly; aware of the ARC’s history and what was in store for his son if his fate couldn’t be changed. “You’re going to be alright.”

“I don’t want to leave You and Mum.”

Matt rubbed his hand across his eyes, before drawing the youngster into a tight embrace. Feeling the uncharacteristic tears begin to form at the corner of his eyes; Matt grit his teeth in an attempt to stop them forming further as he held the youngster tighter - a closer rumble causing his hold to tighten momentarily before releasing Charley and brushing her tears away. _This was too much for her after Shadow..._

Charley sniffed as her father moved to pick up the rucksack he had packed and brought it over to them upon hearing the beeping from the strange device he had been working on change slightly. Picking up Charley again, the team leader moved her to stand on the floor of the lab before putting her arms through the rucksack straps. She winced at the heaviness of the bag on her back but didn’t complain.

Her father moved to pick up the EMD and the strange device; shouldering the EMD and taking her hand once again.

“We need a corridor to open this in,” Matt explained, as he guided Charley to the door of Connors lab. “More space.”

Charley nodded as the pair left her Uncle Connors lab, and took a turn toward a junction in the lab sections corridors. By now a consistent fall of dust was falling from the ceiling, making them both cough.  


Getting to the junction moments later, Matt dropped Charleys hand for a moment as he gave the confirmation for the device to open an Anomaly. As the familiar sight of an Anomaly opened in the corridor; bathing the junction and surrounding corridors in golden light - Matt turned and squatted in front of the young girl whose blue eyes were drawn to the fractured light of the Anomaly.

“This is where we say goodbye, Charley.”

“No,” The youngster said shaking her head. “I don’t want to leave.”

“You have to, Charley.” _It’s the only way you’ll make it out of here_. “Sweetheart, it’ll be alright. Find us.”

“But he won’t be  ** you ** .”

“He’ll learn to be.” Matt whispered, as he brushed a hand through her hair. “But I need you and your brother to be safe. Your Uncle Connors laptop will help them figure out what went wrong so this won’t happen again. But I need you to give it to them - to me.” _It’s all on you now._ “We love you, Kiddo. Your Mum and I both. But you need to be safe and sending you back to them is the only way I know how.” _How it killed him to admit it_. “So I need you to go back.”

“Will I ever see  _** you ** _ again?”

“I don’t know sweetheart. _I’m sorry_.”  


* * *

Those were the last words Charley would remember her father saying before the structure above their heads could no longer take the weight of the collapsed building.

* * *

She would wake up almost a week later in a hospital bed - a younger Matthew Anderson and an older man with greying hair sitting at her bedside; the watch her father had given to her in his younger selves hands.


End file.
